


Being Cruel to Be Kind

by TCRegan



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 04:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1253155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCRegan/pseuds/TCRegan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Varric likes his friend Hawke, but knows he's the love-'em-and-leave-'em type. When Hawke sets his sights on Anders, Varric decides it's time to step in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Cruel to Be Kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theangrywarlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theangrywarlock/gifts).



Varric leaned back in his chair, cards in his hand resting on his chest. They'd decided to move the game upstairs for the night after the fourth fight broke out downstairs. Isabela was currently draped over Merrill, poking at her cards, whispering in her ear, causing Merrill to giggle. Fenris was scowling, hand wrapped around his wine glass, trying to win back the coin he'd lost. The other two members who'd shown up to his little party were currently sitting next to one another, not truly paying attention to the game.

Hawke leaned over, arm around Anders' chair, and pressed his lips a little too close to Anders' ear to whisper to him. Varric's eyes narrowed, watching as Anders blushed and nodded, a strand of hair falling free from the tie. He reached up, but Hawke got to it first, fingers brushing the shell of the healer's ear. Anders tried not to look too pleased with the contact, and failed. Varric thought he looked like a smitten farm boy, tongue tied and turning redder than that harvest's apples. Normally Varric wouldn't care. His friends all seemed to enjoy one another's company, and it wasn't unusual for flirting to turn into casual flings. But Anders was different.

Varric had his fair share of lovers in the past, even after Bianca, contrary to popular belief. Most of them were women, not that he had anything against men. They just never intrigued him the way the curvaceous body of a woman's did. But Anders… there was something about him. He told a good story, maybe not as good as Varric himself, but that was to be expected. He was funny and sweet, if a little sad. He joked easily with Varric, but seemed to be almost guarded with others. He was passionate and fiery and Varric loved poking at him simply to rile him up.

But the mage was completely enamored with Hawke.

And who wouldn't be? Hawke was tall and handsome and powerful and influential. Varric loved the stories he inspired, and he counted Hawke among his closest friends. It was just… Hawke was a heartbreaker. He'd slept with half of Kirkwall and the only reason he hadn't had the other half was because they were either underage or locked in the Gallows. Anders deserved better than that, especially considering how obviously taken he was with the man.

And there was the fact that Hawke was obviously in it for whatever he could get out of it personally. Sure, Hawke cared about his friends as much as the next person, but Varric knew the type. Hawke would play them, pretend to be interested in whatever they were. For Isabela it was sailing. When Hawke stopped paying her attention, she was fine, used to it. For Merrill it was her culture. She was a little less okay with being dropped by the wayside. And Fenris… well, the less said about that coupling, the better. And now Hawke was pretending to enjoy listening to Anders talk about the plight of the Circle mages to, Varric believed, get into the man's pants.

Not that he could blame Hawke. Varric was self-aware enough to realize his own blossoming crush on the healer. He could see himself penning romantic odes, loaded with purple prose and all. Of course those would never see the light of day. But who would say anything when he retold of Hawke's derring-do if he talked up the handsome, tortured apostate a bit more than usual? And no one would see the epic poem he was carefully constructing about said apostate.

 _Maker's breath_ , he thought, realizing he was staring at Anders. He had it bad.

-

"So you and Blondie, eh?"

Hawke shrugged, sipping his ale. Varric had finally managed to get him alone in his suite and they were divvying up the proceeds from their latest venture.

"What are your plans for him?" Varric asked, sliding a pile of silver over.

"Plans?"

"You know, sweeping him off his feet. Getting down on one knee." Varric guarded his irritation at Hawke's dubious look. "Well it's obvious he's besotted with you."

Hawke snorted. "No he's not."

Varric raised an eyebrow. Hawke rolled his eyes.

"Okay, maybe. He… sort of threw himself at me today in the clinic. Pretty good kisser. And from what Isabela says, he used to be quite the wild thing in bed. I'm hoping to get a taste of that tonight."

Years of working deals and playing cards allowed Varric the ability to keep a straight face. "Do tell."

Hawke took a sip of ale, licked his lips and grinned. "He said he'd come by tonight if the door was open."

Normally Varric would congratulate his friend on his future evening adventure. Instead, the cogs turned a bit faster, working out how he could potentially stop this from happening. "So you're… together now? The maidens of the Free Marches from here to Starkhaven will weep in their beds tonight."

Hawke made a face. "A night or two doesn't make it exclusive."

"Ah right. I forgot. No tying you down."

"Oh I don't know," Hawke said thoughtfully. "He seems like the type to be into a bit of light bondage."

Varric shared the laugh, but he was already planning his next move.

-

Paying off someone to make sure Hawke's door was locked was easy enough. So was hiding in the shadows that night to wait for Anders to show up. Not for nothing, Varric was a rogue first and foremost. He'd played second fiddle to Bartrand for so long, going unnoticed was a bit of a parlor trick for him. Truly disappearing? A little more difficult, Kirkwall at night was his friend. Especially Hightown where he knew all the nooks and crannies. So he waited.

Anders didn't disappoint, showing up right around midnight. He looked freshly bathed and he had washed his coat. He stood a few feet away from the door, almost as if steeling his reserve. His shoulders hitched like he was taking a breath, and he wiped his palms on his pants before going to the door. He reached out and took the knob, tried to turn it. Tried again. Pushed on the door gently, then stopped. His free hand lay upon the wood and he lowered his forehead to it, shoulders slumped. Varric wanted to call out to him, to comfort him. But he wouldn't. Not here. Not yet.

Anders stepped back, looking at the door, then up at the window before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away quickly, head down, dejected. Varric followed, taking a route he knew would force them to cross paths. Blondie would be heading to Darktown to his clinic, possibly to write or drown his sorrows in another way. Varric meant to not let it get that far.

"Hey, sour puss!" he called, as Anders drew level with the Hanged Man. "Why the long face, Blondie?"

Anders turned, tense for a moment as if he expected an attack. The sad smile on his face broke Varric's heart a little. He had a soft spot for people like Anders. The world piled up on their backs and no one to help them shoulder the load. He was drawn likewise to Merrill and Bethany. Anders never complained about his own persecution, his own past. He told stories about things like the Blackmarsh and broodmothers and never expected sympathy for himself. Varric didn't think he'd ever met a more selfless person. It was rare, especially in a place like Kirkwall.

"Oh, hey Varric," he said. "I'm not really up for anything tonight. I was just heading back to the clinic. Did you need something?"

"A drinking partner?" Varric suggested. "Or if your pet spirit is keeping you on a short leash, you can lose to me in cards while I drink."

Anders' eyes softened a bit. "I… really should get back."

"Then let me nab a bottle from Corff and I'll come keep you company."

"Varric, I'm sure you have better things to do than sit in a chilly clinic and watch me mope around."

"On the contrary, Blondie, there's nothing else I'd enjoy more."

Anders blinked, eyebrows lifting a little in surprise. Varric wondered if he'd laid it on a bit too thick, if his own feelings were spilling over. This wasn't about him or his crush on Anders. It was about keeping him safe. Even if it meant hurting him a little now. In the long run, he would be spared an even worse heartache.

"I'll get some wine from Corff. Don't disappear on me."

Varric slipped into the tavern, procured two bottles, and was pleased to see Anders waiting for him.

"I really don't know why you'd rather not stay here."

"I could say the same for you," Varric said. "Look, by now I have you figured out. You want to be alone because of something or another. Probably templar-related." He paused, pleased to see Anders' lip quirk in a small smile before it disappeared. "But I also know that it's probably best that you aren't alone right now. Probably also templar-related."

"They were almost at my doorstep the other night," Anders said quietly.

Varric gritted his teeth in a facsimile of a smile. He could keep the Coterie off Anders' back, he even held sway with the Carta and other Darktown thugs. But templars? Even his vast network of contacts couldn't hold back that force. If Hawke cared, he'd be more worried about keeping his friends safe than getting into their pants.

"Well if you ever need a place to lay low for a while…"

Anders did smile this time. "Thanks Varric. …your friendship means a lot to me."

Varric shook his head at the sad tone in his voice. "Me too, Blondie. Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge prompt from my girlfriend: Anders is currently with Hawke, or obviously feels romantic feelings for him. Varric notices and doesn't wholly approve. He's a little jealous, granted, but Hawke isn't exactly on board with the whole pro-mage thing. Or Hawke's just looking to get some nookie. So Varric tries warning Hawke off of Anders, hence their conversation in the second act if Hawke is with Anders. Will Varric try to make a move on Anders? Does he sabotage them in typical Varric fashion? 
> 
> (She's a bit of a Varric/Anders shipper ^_^)


End file.
